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Spiritual Gifts, Volume 3
ceremonies attending the idolatrous worship of the Egyptians. The
country round about Goshen was inhabited by the Israelites, until with
power and mighty signs and wonders God brought his people out of
Egypt.
Joseph brought Jacob before Pharaoh, and introduced his much
honored father to the king. Jacob blessed Pharaoh for his kindness to
his son Joseph. “And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? And
Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are
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an hundred and thirty years; few and evil have the days of the years of
my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the
life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
Jacob told the king his years had been few and evil. That is, he
had seen much trouble, and suffered much perplexity, which had cut
short his years. The life of Jacob had not been smooth and peaceful.
The jealousy of his wives had brought a train of evils. Some of his
children had grieved him, and made his life very bitter. But the last
years of Jacob’s life were more peaceful. His sons had reformed.
As Jacob was about to die, his children gathered about him to
receive his blessing, and to listen to his last words of advice to them.
He forgave his children for all their unfilial conduct, and for their
wicked treatment of Joseph, which had caused him many years of grief
as he had reflected upon his supposed dreadful death. As he spoke
with his children for the last time, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon
him, and he uttered prophecies concerning them which reached far in
the future. While under the spirit of inspiration he laid open before
them their past life, and their future history, revealing the purposes
of God in regard to them. He showed them that God would by no
means sanction cruelty, or wickedness. He commenced with the eldest.
Although Reuben had no hand in selling Joseph, yet previous to that
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transaction he had grievously sinned. His course was corrupt, for he
had transgressed the law of God. Jacob uttered his prophecy in regard
to him. “Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning
of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power,
unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.”
He then prophesied in regard to Simeon and Levi, who practiced
deception to the Shechemites, and then in a most cruel, revengeful
manner destroyed them. They were also the ones who were the most
guilty in the case of Joseph. “Simeon and Levi are brethren, instru-